The Changes in Me by melanieintn
by Strictly Charlie
Summary: Charlie wakes up a vampire, and is confused and lonely. He turns to the only person he knows might be able to help him.  Will the Quileute chief help Charlie or turn him away? An entry for the Strictly Charlie contest. Pre-Twilight


**Title: The Changes in Me**

**Author:**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: Charlie wakes up a vampire, and is confused and lonely. He turns to the only person he knows might be able to help him. Will the Quileute chief help Charlie or turn him away?**

**Disclaimer: The characters depicted are the property of S. Meyer, the story is my own.**

**A/N: The story begins at the start of the summer before the Cullens arrive in Forks.**

Charlie POV:

I am in so much pain, and I wonder if I am dead or dying. I can't be dead; it hurts too much. Concentrating is too difficult, but I am trying to remember all the good times with Renee and Bella. I remember Billy is my best friend. Why is this happening to me? I can't remember much, but the last thing I can recall is someone grabbing me from behind and biting down on my neck. I was out searching for some missing hikers; however, I end up becoming a victim myself.

It feels like I have been burning for years, but it has probably only been a few days. The fire is starting to recede from my extremities, but the fiery torture in my chest is increasing. My heart sounds like it is going to beat out of my chest. Then, it just stops beating, and the pain is gone.

I slowly open my eyes that have been tightly cinched shut. Wow, everything is so much clearer now. Clearly, I can see the veins on the leaves of the trees. I look around and realize that I am lying on the ground in the forest. Deciding to get up, I am standing before I have time to blink. This situation is getting stranger and stranger. I feel different, and I begin to wonder if I also look different.

Catching a whiff of something that smells good, I am instantly running in the direction of the scent. The speed is unbelievable in which I am able to move. I come upon a herd of deer, and feeling my instincts kick in; I lunge for the deer, break its neck, and sink my teeth into it. When I am through drinking, my thirst is not quenched. However, the herd has run away. In the future, I will have to learn to take down a couple of them, before I actually start drinking.

I soon am able to catch the scent of a couple more deer; I drain them before my throat finally finds relief. Now I need to get home and figure out how long I have been out here, and see if I can figure out what is wrong with me. Plus I need to take a shower and get a change of clothes. I wasn't exactly neat when I drained those deer.

I make it back to the house fairly quickly and just about take the door off the hinges when I open it. Now, I guess I am going to have to relearn how to handle things. I head upstairs to grab some clothes and happen to catch a glimpse of myself in my bedroom mirror. I jump back and then can't believe my eyes. It sort of looks like me, but I appear completely different. However, my eyes are a shocking color; they are red. This is unbelievable; I wonder what has happened to me. I need to go see Billy; he believes in all these superstitions and mumbo-jumbo. Maybe he has some idea what has happened to me.

I hurry through my shower, trying hard not to break the knobs in the shower stall. I end up tearing two shirts before I can get one on properly. If this keeps up, I am going to run out of clothes to wear. Between getting them coated in blood and tearing them, I will have to buy a whole new wardrobe. After I get dressed and call into work.

I find out that they had been searching for me and are extremely worried. I tell them I had fallen and knocked myself out; and I just gained consciousness. I tell them that I need some time off to recover. They understand and say they will cover for me; I am the boss after all. But I have to figure out what is going on with all of these changes, before I can even think about going back to work.

I grab my keys, get in the cruiser, and head for the reservation. When I get to Billy's house, I immediately get out of the vehicle and approach his door. Being careful not to knock too hard, the door is quickly opened by Jacob. He just stares at me for a second, and then yells for his dad. He backs into the house, and I follow him. I know I look different, but I guess my eyes are really scary. I should have put some sunglasses on before I approached their house.

Jacob stumbles over Billy as he comes rolling in the kitchen in his wheelchair. Billy just stares at me speechless, and I can't take the silence anymore.

"Talk to me, Billy. Do you know what is wrong with me? I was in a lot of pain for a few days and I woke up like this today. I know you believe in all those legends and superstitions of your tribe. Do you have any that covers the changes that I have gone through? Also, when the pain stopped, I was thirsty and I drained three deer. Please can you help me?" I beg.

He finally finds his voice and asks, "What do we smell like? Does our blood not tempt you?" he asks.

"You kind of smell good, but I would never hurt you or Jacob. Heck, I don't plan on hurting anyone. I just want to know what is wrong with me; and can I change back or is this permanent? Can you help me, Billy?" I ask.

"Yes, I can help you. You are acting nothing like the legends say you should act. I will tell you the legends. However, there is one legend of a certain family that you seem to be emulating. Come on in the family room and have a seat. I will tell you what I know," he says, as he turns his chair around and rolls into the living room.

Jacob still is looking slack jawed and can't seem to stop staring. He says: "Dad, you mean the legends are true. There really are cold-ones?"

"Yes, son, the legends are true. I always told you that they were true, why would I lie about something like that?" Billy asks him.

"I don't know, to keep me in line maybe. I thought they were scary stories that you tell your kids, so they will behave. I never considered them to be factual. So that means that we descended from wolves too? Will I turn into a wolf?" Jacob asks.

"What is he talking about Billy? Are there werewolves too? Man, have I been clueless," I whisper.

"Have a seat on the couch, and I will start from the beginning," he says.

I take a seat and he begins to tell me the legends, beginning with the times of Noah. He proceeds to tell me about the spirit warriors and then where the wolves come into play. He then talks about the evil cold-ones and the third wife. Finally, he gets to the story about a family named Cullen, and the fact that they are different from the evil cold ones of legend. They have golden eyes, not red ones.

That is where I stop him and ask, "But I have red eyes, and I drank from the animals. Why aren't my eyes golden?"

"Maybe because you are so young from the change, maybe it takes a while for your eyes to change color. I really have no idea why your eyes are red or how long it will take them to turn golden. That is all the information that I have to give you. Those are the stories of our people. I don't have any way to contact the Cullens. It was in the 1930s when they were last in this area. I think they have to move around a lot to keep people from getting suspicious," he says.

"What do you mean, suspicious? What would people get suspicious about?" I ask.

"Charlie, you don't change. You will be like this forever. You will not ever age, and you are stuck at whatever age you get changed," he tells me. "The change did you well. You look like you are in your 20s, instead of your 30s," he says.

"What am I going to do about my job? What about my eyes? People can't see me with red eyes, and also there is the fact that I look different. Won't people notice that I have changed?" I ask, as I put my head in my hands.

"Wear sunglasses, you will look cool," Jacob says.

"That may be fine outside; but if I start wearing them indoors, people will think it is strange," I say.

"What about colored contacts? I see the advertisements on TV for them. You don't need a prescription to get them," Jacob says excitedly.

"That might work. Where do you buy colored contacts?" I ask Jacob.

"I would think an eye doctor for sure, but maybe you could order some online. I know you don't have a computer at your house, but you have one at work. I could come by and help you try to locate some," Jacob volunteers.

"Thanks Jacob; if your father will let you, I wouldn't mind you coming into town with me. I am having a little difficulty handling things. I am not used to this extra strength," I say.

"That is fine with me. You just have to remember if you feel the urge to drain someone, you need to go hunt down an animal immediately. Also, you will sparkle in the sunshine, so you have to be careful about going out into the sun. What you have turned into is a secret. You can't tell anyone. I think there are ones like you that police that sort of thing. They get rid of anyone who gets reckless or threatens to expose them. So if you plan to stay in the public light, you will have to be careful. I think you should take a few weeks off at least and get used to your strength and make sure that your thirst is under control," Billy says.

"I already called in and explained my absence by telling them that I fell and knocked myself out. I told them that I need some time to recuperate. I definitely don't want to hurt anyone. You mentioned that the Cullens had a treaty with you and couldn't come on your land. Am I going to be able to come to the reservation or am I going to be banned too?" I ask.

"I will talk it over with the rest of the elders of the tribe and let you know what we decide. If they won't let you come here, I will still definitely come to your house. In fact, it might be a good idea for them to actually see how calm you are and that might convince them that you are safe," he says to me.

"Jacob, go get me the phone so that I can call an emergency council meeting," he says.

Jacob brings him the phone and he makes a couple of calls to Harry Clearwater and Quil Ateara Senior. It is strange that I am able to now hear both sides of the conversation. I might be able to use some of my new abilities to improve my performance on the job.

I hear them tell Billy that they will be over in a few minutes. So I prepare myself for their reaction, they may not be as friendly as Billy. Harry and I are good buddies, but I am not that close to Quil Sr. It only takes them a few minutes and I hear them pull up in their vehicles. Jacob goes to the door to let them in the house. They both walk into the house and into the family room.

"Hey Charlie, hey Billy, I thought you said we needed to have an emergency tribal council meeting. Why is Charlie here?" Harry says, and then stops dead in his tracks as he takes in my new appearance.

Harry and Quil look like they are frozen to the floor. "What is going on Billy? Did you invite us over to get killed?" Quil Sr. says. They both look like cornered rabbits.

"No, I called you over for a meeting. We need to discuss if Charlie can come onto the reservation. You know we have the treaty with the Cullens, but Charlie is practically considered family to us. So we need to decide what course of action that we need to take. He may also need our help. He is all alone in this and is confused," Billy says.

"Why is he sitting here so calm? He just went missing a few days ago, so he is what they call a newborn. Why isn't he acting all crazy? This is really confusing," Harry says, shaking his head.

"He is different. Maybe it is because he has it ingrained in him to help people and not hurt them. He said he drained three deer, so he obviously will be drinking animals. He said that Jacob and I smelled kind of good, but he could never hurt us," Billy says.

"Hey, if you are going to be draining deer, bring us the carcasses and we can use the venison and hides. We can make items out of the antlers too," Harry says.

"So, will he be allowed to come on the reservation?" Billy asks.

"I don't see why not. He seems like the same old Charlie to me. What do you say Quil?" Harry asks.

"I don't know. He is new to this life after all. What if he slips and someone gets hurt?" Quil asks.

"I will not slip. I have no desire to drain a human. I would never hurt anyone on the reservation or anywhere else for that matter," I say because I can no longer stay quiet.

"Alright then, take Jacob and get some sunglasses and contacts. You may want to start wearing gloves, so no one will notice the difference in your body temperature when you shake their hands," Billy says.

"Thanks, Billy; I think I have a pair of sunglasses in the cruiser. Where would you like me to bring the deer carcasses, Harry?" I ask.

"Just bring them to my house, it is about time my kids learn how to process a deer. It will be great if you can field dress them for us. It would be a little less messy on my end," he says.

"No problem, I will probably bring you some tonight. I don't know how often I am supposed to feed, but I don't want to take any chances. I don't want to risk being around others and not be well fed," I say.

Jacob and I head out to Port Angeles. They will have the closest eye doctor where I can purchase some brown contacts. While we are in town, I purchase the contacts, a few more pairs of sunglasses, a couple of pair of leather driving gloves, and some more clothes. I have a feeling I will need the additional clothing, before I can get a good handle on the new me. I also pick up some cleaner that says that it is good at removing blood stains. I guess I will see how well it works.

I stop at my house on my way back to the reservation. I began to think about the fact that I wouldn't be eating food again. I need to clean out my fridge before the items ruin. I will just gather up all the food in the house, and give it to Billy and Jacob.

We go in the house and I tell Jacob what I am going to do. I tell him to get some plastic bags and empty the cabinets while I empty the fridge. I then got some coolers and fill them with the freezer items. After we have all the food gathered up, we put it in the cruiser and head for the reservation.

When we get there, we take all the items into the house. "Billy, you may not have room for everything that I had in my freezer. There is a ton of frozen fish here, and you might want to call and see if anyone else would like to have any of these items," I say.

He and Jacob go through the food and pick out what they will eat. Then, he calls Harry and tells him to come back over to the house and bring Seth. He will need him to help carry the items. Of course Seth reacts as Jacob had reacted when he first saw me, but it doesn't take him long to accept me too. Everyone is grateful for the food, but I tell them that no thanks are necessary. I can't eat it and I didn't want it to go to waste. I tell Harry that I will pick up the coolers at a later time.

I bid everyone good-bye and head for home. I need to be alone for a while and contemplate everything that has happened to me. I make it back home and sit down in my faithful recliner. It is well worn, but still comfortable. I can't seem to wrap my mind around what has happened to me. One day I am this normal guy with a boring life and a steady job, and the next I am some creature that the Quileutes call a cold one. I now drink blood instead of eat. I wonder what other changes I will have to get used to in the future. What am I going to do about seeing Bella this summer? I can't go to sunny Phoenix or California like we had planned. She doesn't like coming here to rainy Forks. I will just have to come up with some excuse about not being able to visit because of work. If she wants to see me, she will just have to come here. If she doesn't, well there is nothing I can do about it.

After a few more minutes of running everything over in my head, I head out to hunt. I grab my hunting knife so that I can field dress the deer. This time when I come across a herd of deer, I take two down before I start to feed. Once they are drained, I field dress them and head for the reservation. It is hard to believe how light they are to me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined being able to carry two full-grown deer and still be able to run at top speed.

I arrived at Harry's house and knock on the door. Seth answers it and then calls out to his dad, telling him that I have arrived with the deer.

He comes outside and says: "Just lay them on the tarp that I have lain out for them. Those are some big ones. If you bring many of this size to us, our freezer will soon be full. I am planning a big cookout this weekend, and I want you to be there. I want everyone to see you and let them know you are safe. Since you are going to be frequenting the reservation, I don't want anyone frightened by your appearance," Harry says.

"Alright, just tell me the day and time and I will be here. I was planning on going fishing with Billy Saturday, so I will already be around then," I say.

"It will be Saturday night about 5:00 PM. But I am sure I will be seeing you before then, I think you have to hunt more often when you are new. I don't know about you though; you aren't acting like a typical cold one anyway," he says as he begins to skin the deer. Seth is watching him closely.

"What about other animals that I drain. Which ones would you want?" I ask.

"Well, we could use bear, elk, and moose for both their hides and meat. Let me think a minute. Goat and sheep would be fine too. One thing that I do ask you to avoid is wolves. Please don't kill any wolves," he says.

"I won't bother the wolves; there is plenty of other animals out there in which for me to feed," I say.

Sue comes out of the house then and asks, "How do you plan on getting the blood out of your clothes?"

"I bought some cleaner today that is supposed to work; I am really hoping that it does," I say to her.

"Oh pish posh, those chemical cleaners won't work. Come on inside and put on some of Harry's clothes that he has outgrown. I think they will just fit you. How about that we make a trade? You bring us meat and I get the blood stains out of your clothes. We will just trade out each time you bring us meat," she says as I follow her into the house. She goes into a room and brings me out some clothes and points me to the bathroom.

"Go take a shower and change; because the quicker I can get to those stains, the easier they will be to get out," she says.

There seems no need to argue with her, so I take the clothes and head into the bathroom. After I shower and change into the clean clothes. I head back outside to where Harry has almost finished removing the hide from the two deer.

He turns and looks at me, smiles, and says: "Looks like you can't say no to her just like I can't."

"Well, she was rather convincing, plus I was dreading trying to get the blood stains out of my clothes anyway. She just saved me the trouble of proving that I don't have a clue to what I am doing when it comes to removing stains," I say.

"Well, I think we ended up on the best side of the deal. We get plenty of meat and hides and you get clean clothes. I am not sure how fair the trade is for you; but if you don't mind, then I won't," he says as he is showing Seth how to remove the meat from the bone.

"It seems fair enough to me. At least the rest of the animal won't be going to waste after I drain it. I had better be getting home. I will probably see you again tomorrow; I am going to feed every day until I make sure that I have complete control. Then, I will start to spread it out a little," I say, as I turn to leave.

"See if you can locate a bear, I haven't had bear meat in years. Plus we could use a new rug for the living room floor," he says.

"I will see what I can do. I will try to locate a bear for you tomorrow. See you later Harry and Seth," I say, as I take of running.

This is actually a fun part of the change. The feel of the breeze in my face and the rush I feel as I run through the trees. I get back to my house in no time. After all that running, I would think that I would be tired and sleepy. But I am far from tired or sleepy. I sit down to watch a game and then the evening news. After the news, I decide that I will try to go to sleep. I go to bed and toss and turn for a couple of hours. I finally give up and go back to watch some more TV. Well, I guess I have discovered another change; the fact that cold ones don't sleep. I am going to have to come up with a nighttime hobby if that is the case because I will go nuts with boredom.

The next few days are filled with me learning how to hold things without breaking them, putting clothes on without tearing them, and relearning how to move without looking suspicious. I am able to locate Harry two bears, a moose, two elk, and some more deer. His place is covered with hides that he is drying out. I wonder what he plans to do with them all.

Saturday arrives and I meet Billy at his place to go fishing. I discover that it is much easier to handle him and his wheelchair. I can just lift him out of it and into the vehicle and then getting him out of the vehicle and into the boat is a snap. The only difference now is that I know I won't be eating what I catch, but it is still fun. It just means Billy will have that much more to take home.

We fish all morning, and then head back to the house to watch a game before we have to go to Harry's house for the cookout. I have my sunglasses on, but people still seem to notice the change and look at me cautiously. I guess most have heard the legends and they are seeing the resemblance between me and the legends. Billy decides to speak up.

"As you all seem to notice, Chief Swan has changed. He is still the same Chief Swan that he has always been and he should be treated no differently. Some of you know the legends and some of you don't. This is not to be talked about to anyone. If anyone asks you any questions about Charlie, then you tell them that all you know is that he fell and hit his head. He was out in the elements for three days and it has seemed to have caused some changes in his skin. Tell them that it is a dormant gene that he has and it is something that he has to live with now. Hopefully that will satisfy any busy bodies. Do you all understand what I am saying?" he asks. They all nod their heads in agreement.

"Also, all the wild game that Harry has been distributing is due to Charlie providing it for us. So be sure and thank him for it. This cook-out is possible because of Charlie's hunting also," he announces.

Most of the people come around to me and thank me for the meat that they have received. The atmosphere quickly relaxes and they all settle in to enjoy their meal. I just sit back in my chair and enjoy the smell and sound of the ocean nearby. The smell of the cooked meat is not very appetizing, but I choose to ignore it and take in the joyful atmosphere. I notice that there are a lot of teenagers present and a few of them I don't even know. Then, I notice the hides that he has that are stretched out and curing.

"Hey, Harry, what are you going to do with all those hides?" I ask him.

"I am going to make some items and set up a little shop to sell them. Seth is also going to help me sell some items on the internet. I am going to try several different things and see what sells best. Then, I will go from there. Billy is going to add some word carvings, and we are going to set up shop together," he says.

"Well that sounds great; that beats him sitting around the house all day getting bored," I laughingly say.

"Hey, maybe I like sitting around the house doing nothing. Not everyone can be a big shot, chief of police," he says, adding to the conversation.

"I am not a big shot; I am just a small town police chief, who is now going to have to keep a low profile," I say.

We continue to talk on into the night. When everyone starts to disburse and go to their respective homes, I decide it is time for me to leave too. I bid everyone a good night and head home.

Over the next week, I pretty much perfect my object handling skills and can now get dressed without destroying my clothes. I take my ripped items to Sue to see if she can fix them or use them for another purpose. Billy and Jacob work with me on moving and acting human; I learn I have to be careful and not move too fast. I practice putting the contacts in and realize that they only last about four hours before they dissolve. So I will need to put a new set in about half way through my workday.

I check in with work and everything seems to be running smoothly. I tell them that I have been to a doctor; and because of a recessive dormant gene that was triggered by my extended exposure and trauma to my head, I now have a change in my skin tone and appearance. I will also have a severe reaction to the sun; so I will not be able to go outside on sunny days. I tell them I will just use my vacation days when it is sunny. Thank goodness we don't have very many sunny days in this part of the state. I then inform that I will be in to work the following Monday.

I talk to Bella and explain that I can't get time off of work and that if she would like to visit, I will send her money for a plane ticket. She says she really didn't want to come to Forks, so we will skip our summer visit this year. I really miss her, but there is nothing that I can do about the situation.

I start back to work and it goes smoothly; since I had already told them that my appearance and skin tone is different, they really don't react to my changes. So work resumes back to normal, and I find work even easier than before the change. My senses are so much sharper and I can even tell when someone is telling the truth or not. Their heart rate increases and I can almost taste the lie coming off of them. I have found it quite convenient to now have a built-in lie detector.

My hunting is much improved and I get less and less blood on me each time I hunt. Harry and Billy have opened their shop and are doing quite well. They have tried to share some of their profits with me; saying that the shop would not be possible if it wasn't for me. However, I know how much work Harry has put into each project; so it is impossible for me to accept any form of payment. So now I have an array of items that are made from skins and pelts that I have provided for them. They say they will be insulted if I turn the gifts down. They have made me a jacket, pants, moccasins and various other items. Plus the clothing that they made seems to hold up better than my regular clothes.

It is almost the end of summer and my eyes are finally turning golden. Soon I will be able to get rid of the contacts altogether. I will just tell people it is part of the recessive gene problem in which I am currently suffering. I really miss not being able to see Bella this summer, but hopefully next year she will want to visit.

About three weeks before school starts, I start to hear rumors of a new doctor and his family moving to Forks. I still haven't heard his name yet; but the rumor is that he has a house full of adopted teenagers. Hopefully they will be good kids and won't give the town any trouble.

The next week, I hear that they are moving into their house and that the doctor's name is Carlisle Cullen. I call up Billy and ask him if it was Carlisle Cullen who signed the treaty, and he confirms that it was him. I tell him that he has moved back to town with his family. He says that they will need to have a council meeting and probably meet with them to renew the treaty. I tell him that I will go out to their house and check them out.

It will be nice having others like me in town, as long as they were friendly. After work, I head over to their house. It was almost impossible to locate their driveway and it is one of the longest driveways that I have ever seen. When I pull up to the house, they must have heard me driving up because they are all standing outside their house waiting for me. There is a total of seven of them; there are four males and three females. Praying that they are friendly, I get out of my cruiser and approach them.

A blond man that looks a little bit older than the rest, then steps forward and greets me. "Hi, I didn't know that there was any more of our kind that lived in Forks," he says.

"Well, I haven't been like this for long. As you can tell, my eyes haven't completely turned golden yet," I say, as I take off my sunglasses.

"You are a newborn? How are you so calm? How can you stand to be around humans?" he asks, looking completely bewildered.

"I don't know; this is how I woke up to this life. I crave animals and not humans. My friend Billy says that I must be so wired to protect humans, and that it carried over into this form," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"Wait, you told somebody? You aren't supposed to tell humans about us," he adamantly says.

"He is my best friend, and I didn't know what else to do. He knew what I was when he saw me anyway. He is Quileute and knows all the legends. He and his son have helped me a lot with the transition. Without them I would have been totally lost and alone," I say.

"Well, that is different; since he is Quileute. Where is your maker? How did you end up like this?" he asks.

"I don't know; I was attacked from behind and was in pain for days. When the pain finally stopped, I was alone. So I have no idea who did this to me or why they just didn't drain me," I say.

"Well, where are my manners? Let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife, Esme; my son Edward; my son and daughter, Emmett and Rosalie; and my son and daughter, Jasper and Alice. The last four are mates. They will be attending school at Forks High and I am the new doctor at the hospital. Esme will be staying home tending to the house. She has some redecorating that she is impatient to get started on immediately," he says, laughing as he hugs her to him.

They all greet me, and come up and shake my hand. Edward walks up to me and asks, "Do you have a power?"

"What is a power?" I ask.

"Some of us have powers; Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions, Alice can see the future, and I can read minds. But I can't read yours very well. It is very hazy," he says.

"I have no idea if I have a special power, I wouldn't know the difference between normal vampire abilities and special ones. I am the only vampire that I have ever seen or have been around," I tell them.

"If Edward can't read your mind, you might have some sort of ability. When our extended family from up north comes to visit, I will invite you over to meet them. One of them has the ability to sense powers, and he would be able to determine if you have one or not," Carlisle says.

"Well, I am able to tell if anyone is telling the truth or not, is that normal vampire ability?" I ask.

"No, that is not normal for a vampire to be able to tell if you are telling the truth. All except for Jasper, he would be able to tell if you were telling the truth because he can read people's emotions," he says.

That is when I take a good look at Jasper and notice all the scars on his face, neck, and arms. I try to stifle my shock, but I know he senses it and he says: "It is a long story, I will tell you sometime."

"Alright, I will look forward to it. I would like to hear everyone's stories at some point. It will be nice having others like me around. It has been lonely being the only one of my kind this whole summer. Although thankfully, I still have my friends on the reservation," I say.

"You are still friends with the Quileutes? Don't they make you stay off their land?" he asks.

"I was already close friends with them before the change, and they saw that I appeared no different to them after it. Plus I provide them with meat and hides, and they have made quite a profitable business with items that I bring them," I say.

"You mean you take them your kills and they accept them?" Carlisle asks.

"Why wouldn't they? It is perfectly good meat and they are making all kinds of items out of the hides. I have practically a new wardrobe because I refuse to take part of their profit. So they have decided to pay me in clothes instead; they are more durable to hunt in too," I say.

"I wonder if they would take our kills. It would make me feel better knowing that I wasn't being wasteful," Carlisle says.

"I don't know, but I can ask. You will have to learn how to field dress them before you take them to the reservation," I say.

Jasper and Emmett both say that they know how to field dress an animal and can teach the others. They all seem to like the idea of not wasting the rest of the animal after it is drained. After we talk a little while longer, I decide to go home and get changed out of my uniform. I then head to the reservation to talk to Billy about the Cullens. It is decided that if they are going to provide the tribe with meat and hides; they should be allowed on the reservation.

So they have a meeting and alter the treaty. They still can't hunt on the reservation or kill wolves, but they are allowed to come to the reservation.

So that begins the friendships between the Quileutes and Cullens. Jasper and Emmett readily accept the clothes that are made for them. The others politely tell them that it isn't their style, so they won't accept any clothes. Emmett was ecstatic over a bear rug they prepared for him; they had made sure that it was one that he had killed himself.

The ladies did accept the jewelry made from deer antlers. After Emmett and Jasper start wearing their new clothes to hunt, Carlisle and Edward change their minds about wanting something to wear. So soon everyone is on even ground with no one feeling like the other owes them something.

I send some moccasins, a dream catcher, and jewelry to Bella. I know she doesn't need the clothes; it will be too hot for her to wear them in Phoenix. I just hope that I can talk her into visiting next summer. I wonder what she will think about the changes that have happened to me. Even though I have plenty of friends, I still yearn for closeness of family. She is the only family that I have left. I just hope she realizes that she misses me too. All I can do is wait and see what the future will bring.

**A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read my story!**


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